International Day of Rural Women celebrations took place in Gatare Sector, in Nyamagabe District, on Tuesday, October 15.

This year's theme is "Rural Women Sustaining Nature for Our Collective Future: Building climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and caring for land towards gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.”

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International Day of Rural Women was implemented by the United Nations General Assembly, and is celebrated every year on October 15, with the aim of highlighting the role and situation of women in rural areas.

Achieving gender equality and empowering women, according to the UN, is not only the right thing to do but is a critical ingredient in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and climate change.

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It is noted that women are responsible for half of the world’s food production while working as environmental and biodiversity stewards. As farmers, women have learned how to cope with and adapt to climate change, for example, by practicing sustainable agriculture in harmony with nature, switching to drought-resistant seeds, employing low-impact or organic soil management techniques, or leading community-based reforestation and restoration efforts.

Given their position on the frontlines of the climate crisis, it is noted, women are uniquely situated to be agents of change — to help find ways to mitigate the causes of global warming and adapt to its impacts on the ground.

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However, according to the UN, reports prove that climate change has a more pronounced impact on women, primarily indigenous and peasant women, whose agricultural dependence, living conditions, and marginalization expose them to a greater degree of changes due to climate, loss of diversity, and pollution.